A Roanoke Electric Steel employee died Saturday afternoon in an accident at the plant.

Christopher Hemstock, 35, of Vinton was conducting routine maintenance on an overhead bridge crane when the accident occurred shortly before 1:50 p.m., Roanoke Electric Steel spokesman John Lambert said in a news release.

A company emergency medical technician and Roanoke Fire-EMS tried to revive Hemstock, but he was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m., the release said.

"He was found on top of the bridge," Lambert said. "He was found unconscious."

No one saw the accident take place, the release said, and details of the incident remained sketchy Saturday evening. Hemstock's supervisor, who was also doing the maintenance work, was standing behind some equipment and did not see the accident, the release said.

Police spokeswoman Aisha Johnson said the incident was "not of a criminal nature."

Lambert said the company would conduct an investigation.

Hemstock had been working for the company since January 2004 as a mechanic melt maintenance worker. The plant on Westside Boulevard Northwest melts scrap metal and recasts it into reusable steel.

This is the third employee accident at the plant in the past five months. Bruce Bruffey was burned in a Dec. 20, 2004, accident, and John Treadway was burned in a Dec. 28, 2004, accident. Both men were treated at the University of Virginia Medical Center and are recuperating at home, Lambert said.